U.S. Geological Survey and The National Academies; USGS OF-2007-1047, Extended Abstract 179
Integrated tephrochronology of the West Antarctic region: Implications for a
potential tephra record in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core
N.W. Dunbar,1 W.C. McIntosh, 1 A.V. Kurbatov,2 and T.I. Wilch3
1
2
3
NMGB/EES Department, New Mexico Tech, Socorro NM, 87801, USA (nelia@nmt.edu, mcintosh@nmt.edu)
Climate Change Institute 303 Bryand Global Sciences Center, Orono, ME, 04469, USA (akurbatov@maine.edu)
Department of Geological Sciences, Albion College, Albion MI, 49224, USA (twilch@albion.edu)
Summary Mount Berlin and Mt. Takahe, two West Antarctica volcanic centers have produced a number of explosive,
ashfall generating eruptions over the past 500,000 yrs. These eruptions dispersed volcanic ash over large areas of the
West Antarctic ice sheet. Evidence of these eruptions is observed at two blue ice sites (Mt. Waesche and Mt. Moulton)
as well as in the Siple Dome and Byrd (Palais et al., 1988) ice cores. Geochemical correlations between tephra sampled
at the source volcanoes, at blue ice sites, and in the Siple Dome ice core suggest that at least some of the eruptions
covered large areas of the ice sheet with a volcanic ash, and 40Ar/39Ar dating of volcanic material provides precise
timing when these events occurred. Volcanic ash from some of these events expected to be found in the WAIS Divide
ice core, providing chronology and inter-site correlation.
Citation: Dunbar, N.W., W.C. McIntosh, A.V. Kurbatov, and T.I. Wilch (2007), Integrated tephrochronology of the West Antarctic region:
Implications for a potential tephra record in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide Ice Core, in Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World –
Online Proceedings of the 10th ISAES X, edited by A.K. Cooper and C.R. Raymond et al., USGS Open-File Report 2007-1047, Extended Abstract
179, 4 p.
Introduction
Ice cores collected in polar regions offer unique records of past climate and volcanism. Deep ice cores collected in
Antarctica provide climate records for as much as 100,000-400,000 years of earth’s history at annual to decadal to
multi-decadal resolution. However, deciphering the chronology of ice cores, particularly the age of ice at a given depth,
can be difficult in areas of low accumulation, and particularly in the deeper parts of cores. The interpretation of the
global climate record is critically dependent on having some idea of chronology for lower parts of ice cores, or at least
being able to correlate these records to climate records from other environments.
In addition to being a climate archives, ice cores also capture volcanic particles (tephra) and aerosols , produced
during major explosive eruptions. Tephra layers in ice cores can provide important time-stratigraphic information if
geochemically tied to a known, dated eruption, or used as cross-correlated time horizons between ice cores. Tephra
examined in West Antarctica are dominated by local source volcanoes, although some record of non-Antarctic
volcanism is also present.
Source Volcanoes: Mt. Berlin and Mt. Takahe
A number of volcanoes protrude through the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (LeMasurier and Thomson, 1990) (Fig. 1).
Of these, Mt. Takahe and Mt. Berlin have been the most active ash-producers over the last 500,000 years . Mt. Takahe,
a flat-topped stratovolcano, has produced a number of recent trachytic eruptions, including events at 8.2±5.4 ka,
93.3±7.8 ka and 102±7.4 ka (Wilch et al., 1999). Mt. Berlin has also erupted a number of times over the last 100,000
years, including young events sampled in the crater region
of Mt. Berlin at 10.3±5.3, 18.2±5.8, 25.5±2.0 (Wilch et al.,
1999).
The explosive eruptions from these volcanoes,
particularly Mt. Berlin, could have reach heights of 30 km
(Wilch, 1997). A number of eruptions from Mt. Berlin have
been recognized in an englacial tephra section at Mt.
Moulton (discussed below). These explosive eruptions are
typically of peralkaline trachytic composition, but distinct
chemical differences have been observed between the two
volcanoes, and as well as between different eruptions from
the same volcano.
Discussion
The explosivity and apparently large area covered by Figure 1. Map of West Antarctica showing location of
deposits from some of the eruption mentioned above volcanoes Mt. Takahe and Mt. Berlin, blue ice site at Mt.
suggest that some may be present in the WAIS Divide ice Waesche, and location of WAIS Divide, Byrd and Siple
core. Deposits resulting from some of these explosive Dome ice cores
eruptions have been found in outcrop on the source volcanoes (Wilch et al., 1999). However outcrop exposures of
many of the deposits are likely to be absent due to erosion or coverage by subsequent eruptions. A more complete
10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences
record of the explosive eruptions is preserved as tephra layers in ice than is represented by near-source rock outcrops.
Three sites in West Antarctic containing significant tephra records are known. These include the Mt. Moulton and Mt.
Waesche blue ice deposits, and the Siple Dome ice core. The details of these sites are presented below, followed by a
discussion of the potential tephra record that may be expected in the WAIS Divide ice core.
Mt. Moulton
A site on the shoulder of the ice-filled summit crater of Mt. Moulton, located at an elevation of 2800 meters in West
Antarctica, exhibits a long section of exposed blue ice and
intercalated tephra layers. Many of the tephra layers are
thick (up to 10 cm) and coarse (pumice up to 3 cm) (Fig.
2). A total of 48 visible tephra layers are observed.
Detailed dip measurements and GPS mapping reveals a
simple geometry of parallel tephra layers all exhibiting
consistent dips (Fig. 3). The simple stratigraphy of the
tephra layers suggests that although the local ice is
thinned, based on the boudinaged appearance of the
thicker tephra layers, it is otherwise undeformed. Most
of the Mt. Moulton tephra layers are trachytic, and are
thought to be derived from Mt. Berlin, located only 30 km
away from the blue ice site (Fig. 2). Eight of the tephra
layers at the Mt. Moulton site have been directly dated
using 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of potassic feldspar
phenocrysts, to (in stratigraphic order from top to base of
the blue ice section) 10.5±2.5; 24.7±1.5; 92.1±0.9;
104.9±0.6;118.1±1.3; 135.6±0.9; 225.7±11.6;
and
Figure 2. Photograph of englacial tephra layer at Mt.
495.6±9.7 ka.
Moulton site with Mt. Berlin in background.
Figure 3. GPS-produced map of tephra layers at the Mt. Moulton site showing tephra ages.
Mt. Waesche
In contrast to Mt. Moulton, the Mt. Waesche site, located at between 1900-2000 meters elevation in a blue ice field
on the south side of the volcano, displays a complex, deformed stratigraphy. The tephra layers at Mt. Waesche are
dominantly either coarse and basanitic, probably of local derivation, or fine and trachytic, mainly derived from Mt.
Berlin or Mt. Takahe. One of the stratigraphically highest tephra layers at Mt. Waesche is geochemically correlated to
the 8.2±5.4 ka from Mt. Takahe.
2
Dunbar et al., Integrated tephrochonology of the West Antarctic region- Implications for a potential tephra record in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
(WAIS) Divide Ice Core
Three tephra layers at Mt. Waesche have been geochemically correlated with layers found at Mt. Moulton. The
correlative layers have ages of between 15 and 27 ka, 27±2 ka, and between 106 and 119 ka, consistent with apparent
stratigraphic order. A single tephra layer at Mt. Waesche has been directly dated using 40Ar/39Ar, and yields an apparent
age of 117±7 ka. Although there are tephra layers that seem stratigraphically below the 117±7 ka layer, they appear to
represent an overturned repetition of some part of the upper section. Hence, there is no evidence for ice significantly
older than 117 ka at Mt. Waesche.
Depth in Core (m)
Siple Dome
A total of 36 tephra-bearing layers have been recognized in the Siple Dome A ice
core (Fig. 4). Despite the very fine grain size of these tephra layers (mostly less than
0
20 microns (Fig. 5) geochemical characterization of all 36 layers was carried out by
electron microprobe. The uniform geochemical composition and grain size of
individual tephra layers within this core suggest that they are primary deposits from
200
explosive volcanic eruptions, and therefore represent time-stratigraphic markers in the
ice core. The source volcanoes for these tephra layers are largely found within the
Antarctic plate, although some South American and possibly a New Zealand volcano
are also represented. Statistical geochemical correlations have been made between 12
400
of the tephra layers and source volcanic eruption. Ten of the tephra layers are
correlated to known tephra layers found at Mt. Moulton or Mt. Berlin. One correlation
is also made to an eruption from Mt. Takahe, which took place at 8.2±5.4 ka. This
tephra layer has also been recognized in the Byrd Core (Palais et al., 1988). One tephra
600
layer is correlated to Mt. Hudson, located in South America. The existing ice core
chronology agrees well with
independently
determined
chronologies for the source
800
eruptions.
The lowest tephra
layer in the ice core, located at
986.21 m depth, is correlated to a
source eruption with an age of
1000
118.1±1.3 ka, providing a
chronological pinning point for the
lower ice.
Furthermore, an
episode of anomalously high Figure 4. Depiction of the
volcanic activity in the ice in the depth of tephra layers within
SDM-A core between 18,000 and the Siple Dome ice core.
35,000 was observed in this study Each red bar represents a
Figure 5. Backscattered electron image of
and also by Gow and Meese (in tephra layers.
tephra layer from the Siple Dome ice core.
review). This episode, which has also been recognized in the Byrd
Bright areas represent tephra particles and dark ice core (Gow and Williamson, 1971), is here tied to eruptive
areas are mounting epoxy.
activity of the Mt. Berlin volcano.
WAIS Divide
The WAIS Divide ice core is located in central West Antarctica (Fig. 1), in reasonably close proximity two the two
main West Antarctic tephra-producing volcanoes, Mt. Takahe and Mt. Berlin, and is therefore likely to contain a
number of known tephra layers from the two volcanoes. However, the presence of ash from a given eruption in an ice
core can depend on two factors. First, the wind direction at the time of substantial eruption must be favorable to
transport the tephra towards the deposition site. Second, if the tephra is deposited at the site, it must be locally
preserved in such a way as to be present in the core. In the case of the Siple Dome ice cores, a tephra layer that was
found in the Siple B core was not present in the Siple A core, although the two cores were only 10 m apart (Dunbar et
al., 2003). This tephra distribution is likely to have resulted from non-uniform preservation of tephra on the local snow.
The youngest widespread tephra layer from a West Antarctic volcano is the 8.2 ka eruption from Mt. Takahe. This
widespread tephra layer is found in the Byrd ice core (Palais et al., 1988), the Siple Dome ice core, and at Mt. Waesche.
The WAIS Divide site is closer to Mt. Takahe than any of these other sites (350 km away as opposed to 430, 950 and
380 km, respectively), and therefore likely to have received a substantial deposit of tephra, given a favorable wind
direction at the time of deposition. The presence of the tephra in the Byrd ice core suggests that the wind direction was
at least somewhat favorable for deposition at the WAIS Divide site. The Mt. Takahe ash layer in the Siple Dome core
was one of the 8 visible layers in the core, and contained abundant glass shards (Fig. 5). At Mt. Waesche, the layer was
thick enough to be visible on a blue ice surface, suggesting that this was a major eruption.
3
10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences
In lower part of the WAIS Divide core, Mt. Berlin is likely to dominate the tephra record. Of the numerous
eruptions from Mt. Berlin that occurred between 100,000 yrs ago and present, a number are present at Mt. Waesche, Mt.
Moulton and in the Siple Dome sites. At least some of these tephra layers expected to reach the WAIS Divide site.
The most promising targets are those that have been identified both at either Mt. Berlin or Mt. Moulton and in the Siple
Dome ice core, because the two sites are in different directions from the source volcano, suggesting that the area of
deposition was relatively broad. This includes a total of 9 tephra layers, ranging in age from <10.5±2.5 to >92.1±0.9 ka.
Discovery of these layers in the WAIS Divide core could provide a number of useful cross-correlated time-stratigraphic
markers linking the climate records.
Based on the accumulation rate and the ice thickness, the age of the deepest WAIS Divide is expected to be at least
100,000 years. There are a number of tephra layers that may be found in the deepest part of the core. These include the
92.1±0.9; 104.9±0.6;118.1±1.3 ka tephra layers erupted from Mt. Berlin and found at Mt. Moulton. Two other
possibilities include the 93.3±7.8 ka and 102±7.4 ka eruptions from Mt. Takahe. Ideally, more that one of these tephra
layers will be present in the WAIS Divide core, providing a robust chronology for the oldest ice in this important
climate record.
Acknowledgements. This work was supported by National Science Foundation grants OPP-9814428, OPP-0230021, OPP-9316505, OPP- 9614384,
OPP-9615167. We would like to thank the National Science Foundation, Antarctic Support Associates and Raytheon Polar Services also for logistical
support while in Antarctica, as well as the Air National Guard and Ken Borek Air for air transportation to and from the field site. The Cameca SX100 electron microprobe at NMIMT was partially funded by NSF grain STI-9413900. Particular thanks go to the following people for assistance in
the field and/or helpful discussions about the results presented here: K. Carpenter, P. Polissar, T. Popp, T. Sowers, B. Spikes, J. White, and G.
Zielinski. Thanks to Fabio Florindo and Alan Cooper for review of the extended abstract.
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